The field of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) has many acronyms and specific complex terms.
STI key acronyms
| ALECSO = Arab League Education, Culture and Science Organization ASTF = Arab Science and Technology Foundation ESCWA = Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia FTE = Full-time Equivalent GDP = Gross Domestic Product GERD = Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D GNERD = Gross National Expenditure on R&D GUF = General University Funds H = Humanities ILO = International Labour Organization IMC = Industrial Modernization Centre ISCED = International Standard Classification of Education ISCO = International Standard Classification of Occupations ISESCO = Islamic Education, Science and Culture Organization KFAS = Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences KISR = Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research ME = Ministry of Education MHE = Ministry of Higher Education MHESR = Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research MRDC = Metallurgy Research and Development Centre MSR = Ministry of Scientific Research NRC = National Research Centre OECD = Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development R&D = Research and Development S&T = Science and Technology STI = Science, Technology and Innovation SS = Social Sciences SHS = Social Sciences and Humanities UIS = UNESCO Institute for Statistics UNDP = United Nations Development Programme UNESCO = United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization WIPO = World Intellectual Property Organization |
STI key definitions and measurements
> Expenditure on R&D
Expenses spent on Research and Development. Their measurement includes intramural and extramural expenditure through different types of costs and results in a gross domestic and/or gross national expenditure on R&D (GERD & GNERD). The sources of funds can also be measured through two methods.
> Intramural expenditure
Intramural expenditures are all expenditures for R&D performed within a statistical unit or sector of the economy during a specific period, whatever the source of funds. Intramural expenditure includes both current and capital costs.
> Current costs: labor costs of personnel and other costs.
Labor costs of personnel. These comprise annual wages and salaries of R&D personnel including all associated fringe benefits, bonus payments, contributions to pensions etc. Labor costs of personnel providing indirect services and not included in the personnel data are included in other current costs. Students on the payroll of universities or R&D units, through research scholarships, should be included in the statistics.
Other current costs. These comprise non-capital purchases of materials, supplies and equipment to support R&D. Administrative and other overhead costs are included in other current costs, and so are costs of on-site consultants. Also included, are costs for indirect services such as security, storage, repair and maintenance of buildings and equipment, computer services and printing services.
> Capital costs.
Capital expenditures are the annual gross expenditures on fixed assets used in the R&D programs of statistical units. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place and should not be registered as an element of depreciation. These include: land and buildings, instruments and equipment and computer software. Small tools and instruments and minor improvements to existing buildings are included under current costs accounts. Similarly, purchases of books, periodical and annuals are normally assigned to other current costs. However, if they are purchased as complete libraries, large collections of books, periodical etc., they should be included under expenditure on major equipment, especially if made when equipping a new institution.
> Extramural expenditure
Extramural expenditures are the sums a unit, organization or sector report having paid or committed themselves to pay to another unit, organization or sector for the performance of R&D during a specific period. The borderline between intramural and extramural expenditure is not always clear.
> Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD)
GERD is total intramural expenditure on R&D performed on the national territory during a given period. This includes R&D performed within a country and funded by public funds as well as funds from abroad but excludes payments for R&D performed abroad.
> Gross national expenditure on R&D (GNERD)
GNERD comprises total expenditure on R&D financed by a country’s institutions with public funds during a given period. It includes R&D performed abroad but financed by national institutions or residents and excludes R&D performed within a country but funded from abroad.
> The two methods of sources of funds measurement:
First method: performed-based reporting of the sums which one unit, organization or sector has received or will receive from another unit, organization or sector for the performance of intramural R&D during a specific period. This approach is strongly recommended.
Second method: source-based reporting of extramural expenditures which are the sums a unit, organization or sector report having paid or committed itself to pay to another unit, organization or sector for the performance of R&D during a specific period.
In order to identify the sources of flows of R&D funds, intramural expenditures are usually distributed between funds of the performing unit (own funds), funds from other units in the same sector or sub-sector and funds from other sectors and sub-sectors.
Two areas should be taken into consideration: sub-contracting or intermediaries and public general university funds (GUF). In the case of universities, income from endowments, shareholdings and property, plus other sources within the university, are the universities’ “own funds”. In the case of private universities, these may be a major source of R&D funds. It is important to clarify that publicly financed GERD is divided into two sub-categories: direct government funds and GUF.
The following sources of funds are recommended to be identified: Business enterprise sector, Governmental sector, Private non-profit sector, Higher education sector, and Abroad.